Originally Posted by
Badenoch
I tip abroad as I do at home. I'm not going to overthink it or fret about whether I've offended someone by offering a gratuity.
I've probably over tipped in some places, under tipped in others and don't care.
In all that time I've only had a tip returned once and not because I tipped but because it was deemed to be too much.
Wow, really? It's one thing to overtip in developing countries where the workers really need the money. However, in a developed country where workers are paid properly, overtipping is going to be seen as offensive and rude. This is exactly the type of behavior that creates the "arrogant American traveler" stereotype. If you "don't care" about offending the local culture when you travel, it's probably best to stay at home.
Originally Posted by
darthbimmer
Simple. The US is pretty much the only country where tipping is socially mandatory. If you don't tip here, your friends and acquaintances will call you out on it, criticizing you for being a cheapskate and denying workers their fair wages. Workers themselves will register anger, too, using rude language and hand gestures. Lest you think they'll be disciplined for it, their managers are likely to do the same. If you return to that business it's possible you'll be remembered as "the one" who didn't tip, and you'll receive poor service.
I think this is pretty much true. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the US is also the only country where there are "tip credits", meaning that tipped employees can be paid less than minimum wage, provided that their tips bring them up to the minimum. Most US states have this system, but I've never heard of it anywhere else.